Queen Elizabeth's Secret Taboos: Discover 10 Things She Can't Do

This blog post delves into the surprising limitations placed upon Queen Elizabeth II, despite her immense power and privilege.

ENGLISH LANGUAGES

1/31/20254 min read

The Paradox of Power: Unveiling the Restrictions on Queen Elizabeth II

The United Kingdom's royal family, and especially Queen Elizabeth, undoubtedly wields significant power. In normal circumstances, the powers the Queen enjoys are beyond our imagination. For example, the Queen neither needs a driving license to drive nor does she need a Visa or passport while travelling. To talk about the money/cash, a private cash machine is always there at her Majesty's disposal. Neither anyone can sue the Queen nor does she have to pay any tax. That being said, it doesn't mean that she is free to do anything she wants.

The Constraints of Royalty: Everyday Restrictions

Queen Elizabeth is not allowed to do normal things that we do daily, without any fear. Welcome you once again to the Blogifyhub. Viewers, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and 11 other countries. Obviously, along with the benefits, there are some disadvantages to this post. I have already told you about some of the extraordinary powers that the Queen enjoys, but we are now going to talk about things that we common people regularly do, but the Queen or the members of the royal family don't have the permission to do. Whatever happens off-camera behind the closed doors of the Royal Palace, but in public, the Queen is not allowed to walk together with her husband Prince Philip. Rather, the Queen is supposed to walk a step ahead of him. Prince Philip, who was five years older than Queen Elizabeth, lived 74 years together. But you have seen him a step or two behind her. In 2021, Prince Philip died at the age of 99.

Social Etiquette: Dinner Party Protocols

It's a normal thing to do, chitchat at dinner parties, where most people go with friends and families to relax. But Queen Elizabeth is not allowed to speak freely with anybody at the dinner parties. At the dinner parties, if the Queen wants to talk to someone of her stature, then she will start with the guest sitting on her right side. Then she will be allowed to talk with the guests sitting on her left side. This is a strict rule for the royal dinner. There was an instance when Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton sat left to the Queen. When he tried to strike up a conversation with the Queen, the Queen immediately stopped him, saying she will first talk to the guests on the right.

Superstitions and Celebrations: The Number Thirteen

If the dinner party is arranged from the Queen's side, then the number of guests attending will be more or less than 13, but never exactly 13 guests are invited. There are many instances where a guest was canceled or a new guest was invited if the guest count was 13. Many people believe the reason behind this is that number 13 is the Queen's unlucky number.

Public Interactions: Autographs and Selfies

We all know that Queen Elizabeth is no less than a celebrity. And when a celebrity comes out in public, he/she has to give autographs too. But Queen Elizabeth is not allowed to give autographs. This applies not just to the Queen but to all the members of the royal family. This rule was made so that no one could do fraud using the Queen's false signature. In 1954, the Queen and her husband Prince Philip signed a Christmas card which was sold for £4500 in 2020. Just like autographs, members of the royal family are not allowed to take selfies in public. In a public gathering where Queen Elizabeth was present, a guy quickly took a selfie with the Queen, after which the Queen stared at the guy angrily.

Political Neutrality and Public Displays of Affection

Citizens of the United Kingdom are allowed to express their political opinion. But Queen Elizabeth has to remain neutral in political matters. This means that neither can the Queen support any political party nor can she cast her vote. Although all the couples can hold each other's hands in public, members of the royal family are ordered to keep their hands to themselves. And because of this rule, we have mostly seen the Queen and Prince Philip a little apart from each other. The same rule applies to the other members of the royal family.

Posture and Travel: Royal Protocol

It feels comfortable to sit with the legs crossed on a chair. But in the royal family, females strictly follow a stern rule of sitting. Royal females are not allowed to sit in a crossed-legged position. Rather, they sit in a special posture where their knees remain straight and in contact with each other. In an interview, Queen Elizabeth said that now she is so used to this posture that sitting cross-legged now hurts her. Among the strict rules of the British royal family, one is that the heirs to the Queen's throne can't travel together. The first heir to the throne after the Queen is her son Prince Charles, the second heir is Prince Charles's son Prince William, and the third heir is Prince George. According to the rule, all three heirs cannot travel together. When Prince George reaches the age of 14, he will not be allowed to travel with his father.

Travel Preparations and Dietary Restrictions

Queen Elizabeth or any member of the royal family, whenever they go out of the city, here also they have to follow certain rules regarding the collection of dresses they carry. Like they must carry a black dress along with them in case they have to attend a funeral in the middle of their travel, which requires wearing a black dress. Also regarding the food, the royal family has to follow a lot of rules. You also must be thinking kings and queens must be getting dishes of their choice. But this is not the case. Queen Elizabeth and her family are not permitted to eat a lot of food items, which includes shellfish, garlic, onions, and tap water. The reason for not eating shellfish is that it can upset the stomach, and the Queen can be in trouble at any party or dinner. Eating onion and garlic causes bad breath which can leave a bad impression on the other person. And the reason to avoid tap water is that it might contain germs or bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Final Precaution: Gloves in Public

And at last, let me tell you that the Queen has to wear gloves in public, be it hot summer days or chilling winter. She is compelled to wear the gloves because when the Queen goes out in public, she has to shake hands with a lot of people. These gloves help her to avoid getting infected with any germs or viruses.